1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automated transaction apparatus called an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine), a CD (Cash Dispenser), an automatic remitter or a bond issuing machine, and more particularly, to an improvement on the operability of transactions in an automated transaction apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, an automated transaction apparatus like an ATM for financial institutions, such as banks, which can ensure transactions without requiring a bank employee like a teller, has been developed and used. This automated transaction apparatus allows a customer or a user to perform an operation, such as the inputting of information, in an interactive manner while viewing what is shown on the display screen of the apparatus, thereby accomplishing the desired transaction.
As one way to interact with a user, the conventional automated transaction apparatus displays, for example, guidance messages on the screen of its display device one after another to request the user to input or select information, or request the user of another operation. In accordance with the guidance or the like on the display screen, the user performs an operation, like inputting information, to make an transaction.
The operation procedure for a transaction requires the inputting of various pieces of information.
According to the conventional transaction screen, a maximum of several items can be input but it is difficult to display all the items necessary for different transactions on one screen and permit a user to select a desired item from them. For the user to complete a transaction procedure such as a transfer procedure, different pieces of information should be input step by step while switching many screens from one to another.
This input system does not allow users to know the time-sequential states of the operation procedures to reach the last screen for the confirmation of the entered information. Therefore, the users cannot grasp, midway of the transaction procedure, when the input procedure will end or where in the entire procedure the current process is located, and cannot know the end of the operation until the very end at which the last screen for the confirmation of the entered information actually appears. This was one factor to irritate and worry the users about the currently performing operation.
In inserting or removing a passbook, a card, a transfer card and some cashes to or from an automated transaction apparatus, after information is input or selected, users were requested to perform the consequent operation by the guiding flickering of lamps provided near the slots of the respective media, or were given a voice guidance to perform the operation. Some automated transaction apparatuses display a simple illustration to vaguely indicate how to insert a card or a passbook at the time of requesting the insertion of the card or passbook. In this case, the given information is not detailed and its association with the apparatus is unclear, making it difficult for users to grasp what should be inserted where in the apparatus.
From the viewpoint of improving services to users, it is important to take some measure against the user's leaving the place of the apparatus without removing the inserted medium. With regard to this probable unintentional leaving of an inserted medium, the executives who run banks or the like are demanded to take the proper measure against such an event from the viewpoints of shortening the working time and also of the systemized system.
As the conventional measures against the probable left-out of a medium, users are informed of the event by the flickering of an alarm lamp or a voice guidance. However, no specific measure has been taken with respect to information displayed on the display screen, which provides the direct interaction with users and which is what each user keeps watching during operation.
Further, the contents of guidance messages in the conventional automated transaction apparatuses are fixed. For example, if all the guidances for the individual operations and guidances for what should be performed on the screen are displayed on a single screen, those guidances are not easy for users to see and, what is more, it is likely for the users to take a considerable time to check the contents of the individual guidances. The conventional guidances to be displayed are therefore simplified by omitting the explanation of what to do, the explanation of the individual button operations and the like.
As the amount of transactions is increased and the number of users who use automated transaction apparatuses is also increased, there is an increasing demand for easier understandable operations for transaction procedures and an improved operability.
More specifically, it is desirable if those users can see many information items to be input on the screen and can easily understand for which item the operation should be performed currently, what has already been input and what operations should be performed yet to complete the intended transaction procedure.
It is difficult to grasp the correlation between the contents of each slip users used to fill in at the time of executing a transaction such as a transfer, and the associated operations the users should perform with an automated transaction apparatus, so that some users feel the machine operations more troublesome than filling a slip.
Further, it is necessary to perform operations, such as the removal a passbook, a card or some cashes, other than information input through the screen as well as the interactive operations for entering information through the ordinary screen. In this case, users want easier operation displays which can ensure smooth transition from the screen of simple input operations to another operation like the insertion of media, such as a card and a passbook.
It is not a very rare occasion that users forget to remove their passbooks, cards, bonds or other media, so that some proper measures should be taken to prevent users from forgetting the removal of the media.
It is further desirable to design clear and understandable displays to assist the users' operations, such as guidance displays, so that even those who are not well acquainted with the interactive operations.